The Abia State House of Assembly member representing Umuahia North State Constituency, Hon. Akaliro Kelechi Anderson, has finally defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Labour Party (LP), once again deepening the crisis in the APC in the state.
In his resignation letter to the APC chairman in Umuahia North LGA, Hon. Akaliro pointed to continuous internal fighting, factionalism, and the failure of harmonious leadership structures within the party.
Hon. Akaliro, the chairperson of House Committee on Public Petitions and Judiciary, was the sole APC legislator elected to Abia State Assembly in the 2023 general election. He lamented that though so mandated, he was ousted by the party leadership.
“Since my inauguration, the APC in Abia has never invited me, formally or informally, to any activity or meeting, thereby derogating my mandate and relevance,” he stated.
He criticised the constant suspension and counter-suspension of party officials across wards and local government areas as “a sign of irreversible disunity.” After consultations with constituents and allies, the lawmaker said he decided to align with Governor Alex Otti’s Labour Party-led administration, which he hailed as “visionary and development-oriented.”
Speaking to journalists, Hon. Akaliro popularly called “The man with excess grace” declared his loyalty to Governor Otti.
“I have seen the light today. I have watched His Excellency Dr. Alex Otti, and from his antecedents and what he has so far achieved, there is no doubt that he came prepared for the work. My people and I are ready to catch this on-the-move train. He is piloting Abia to where it needs to be,” he said.
The legislator praised Otti’s achievements in education, infrastructure, housing, and social development, and added that even his critics could not question his impact.
“Being in opposition became really difficult because Governor Otti keeps performing. He made it nearly impossible to criticize him. I had no choice but to join him because I know he’s the right man for the job,” he added.
Declaring his new political identity, he said: “I’m officially declaring as Honourable Barrister Anderson Kelechi Akaliro, the man with excess grace, representing the good people of Umuahia North State Constituency as a member of the Labour Party.”
Hon. Akaliro’s defection is seen as a major setback for the APC in Abia, while further strengthening the influence of the ruling Labour Party under Governor Otti.
